| As the echo faded, the pentagram on the floor began to glow. Energy spheres formed in the depressions in the center, and each one shot out to the point in the pentagram that they were nearest. The energy coalesced and sunk down into the points in the star pattern, then the points began to glow. There appeared small holes in the points, which grew larger until they became about head-sized. Through the holes, lava boiled up, and when a large pool had collected at each point, they formed themselves into great, serpentine beasts of flame. The lava hardened, and the adventurers were faced with five lava dragons, each about twelve feet long. The snakelike wyrms hissed and spat, the lava beneath their hardened shells sending out waves of light-bending heat. It appeared that the only way to get into the gate was to go through them... |